Governor



GOVERNOR R. J. WEAVER Filed April 22, 1933 HIII @at. w, 1934.

Patented Got. 16, 1934 irssrarss @Fi iEl 7 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to gas engine governors in which the main object is to balance the valve in any and all positions thereof for a predetermined speed, as is well explained in '5 many prior patents. This invention is herein disclosed in connection with an unbalanced throttling valve in the intake passage of an engine, and the valve is urged to close by the inflowing gases. Accordingly, as is well known, there is a definite curve for the forces exerted on the valve for each difierent speed, and these curves show that the forces increase rapidly near the closing position of the valve, corresponding to light load positions, and the differences between one curve andanother are greater near the closing positions than at the open position, that is for a flap valve pivoted at one side in the intake passage.

Accordingly, objects of this invention are to provide for close regulation for light loads as 'well as heavy loads; to provide a simple form of governor having few parts so that it is not liable to get out of order and can be manufactured economically; and to provide a construction in which the desired curves of resistance may be readily obtained, and in the resistances will automatically have a suitable differential therebetween for different speeds.

Other objects are to provide a governor which is not subject to vibration, in the spring element and also from the shaking of the car; which is stable in positioning the valve, and which can be readily adjusted for different speeds.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the governor, with the lateral housing thereof shown in section on the line 1--1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a face elevation of the governor, with the midportion of the housing cover broken away.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, looking from the left in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line ll of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention shown, the governor comprises a block 5, having a passage 6 therethrough, which is installed between the flanges of the intake manifold and the carbureter of the engine so that the passage becomes a part of the gas intake passage, the gases flowing upwardly as viewed in Fig. 1.

At one side of the block is provided a housing '7 which is closed by means of a cover 8 which is secured in position by two hooks, 9 and 10, formed on the inner side of the cover. The hook 9 is engaged under a projection 11, formed on the edge of the-right hand wall of the housing, and the hook 10 is engaged under the adjusting screw 12 which is inserted through an aperture 13 in the so left wall of the housing, and the screw threads through a boss 14 which is formed integrally in the lower wall of the housing. Thus the cover cannot be removed until the screw is withdrawn. The aperture 13 is closed by a hinged cover plate 15 which may be sealed to prevent access to the adjusting screw and tampering with the governor.

Rotatably mounted in the block and extending from the interior of the housing and through one side of the passage 6, is a shaft 16 on which is fixedly mounted a throttling valve 17 inclined in the passage so that it is urged to close the passage by the flow of the gases drawn into the engine. A curved cam lever 18 is fixedly secured to the outer end of the shaft by a set screw 19, and in the open position of the valve the outer end or" the lever strikes against the upper wall of the housing thus providing a limit stop for the opening movement of the valve to maintain sufficient in- 30 clination so that the flow of thegases will be effective in moving the valve to close.

A plate lever 20 is pivotally mounted on a screw 21 which is threaded into the bottom of the housing and near the shaft 16; and on the outer end of the plate 20 are provided two posts, 22 and 23, on which the resistance spring 24 is mounted. The fixed end of the spring has a closed coil 25 which is engaged on the post 23, and the adjacent portion of the spring loops around and fulcrums on the post 22. This increases the effective length of the spring in a small space, and modilies to some extent the action of the spring, main- 1y deadening the tendency of the spring to vibrate, the spring being held accurately in position without rigid clamping. The spring and lever are oppositely disposed, that is they extend toward each other, and the extending portion of the spring is preferably curved, and the free end contacts with the inner portion of the lever, nearly in line with the axis of the plate on which the spring is mounted, when the valve is open. The contacting surfaces are relatively convex so that the point of contact travels outwardly on the lever, thus increasing the lever arm of the resistance and shortening the spring as the valve closes, as shown in the changed position of Fig. 4. The spring may be formed of either flat or round wire, as desired.

The plate 20 has an upturned lug 27 which abuts against the inner end of the adjusting screw 12, and speed adjustment are made by rotating the screw. The curvature of the lever is determined by the forces exerted on the valve, and the lever may be readily formed to obtain the desired characteristics in the resistance curves. Also a change in the position of the spring mounting plate produces less change in the initial tension of the spring in the open positions of the valve than it does in the closing positions.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A gas engine governor comprising an unbalanced throttling valve pivotally mounted in the intake manifold of the engine, a lever fixedly attached to the valve and rotatable therewith, and a leaf spring coacting with the lever to resist the closing movement of the valve under the action of thegases being drawn into the engine, the lever and the spring being oppositely disposed and projecting toward each other and constructed so that their contact progresses outwardly on the lever as the valve closesand the effective length of the 7 spring is decreased.

2. A gas engine governorcomprising an unbalanced throttling valve pivotally mounted in the intake manifold of the engine, a lever connected to the valve and rotatable therewith, and a leaf spring anchored at one end and having its free end extending toward the axis of the lever, the lever and spring being oppositely disposed and having convex contacting surfaces so that the contact therebetween progresses outwardly on the lever as the valve closes.

3. A gas engine governor comprising an unbalanced throttling valve pivotally mounted in the intake manifold of the engine, a cam lever connected to the valve and rotatable therewith, a spring mounting plate pivoted near the axis of the lever, a spring anchored to the outer end of the plate and having its free end projecting oppositely with the lever and contacting with the same near its inner portion in the open position of the valve, and means for adjusting the position of the plate.

4. A gas engine governor comprising an intake throttling valve urged to close by the movement of the gases into the engine, a pivotally mounted cam lever connected to the valve and movable therewith, a leaf spring anchored at one end, the lever and the spring being oppositely disposed and projecting toward each other and curved so that the spring resistance increases and balances the turning moment on the valve at all positions thereof for a predetermined engine speed.

5. A gas engine governor comprising an unbalanced throttling valve rotatably mounted in the intake manifold of the engine, a lever fixedly attached to the valve and rotatable therewith, a pivotally mounted plate, means for adjusting the rotative position of the plate, and a spring anchored on the outer end of the plate, the spring and lever being oppositely disposed and projecting toward each other and curved so that the point of contact travels outwardly along the lever as the valve closes, the pivotal axis of the plate being near the inner point of contact when the valve is fully open so that the adjustment of the plate does not materially change the initial tension of the spring in the open position of the valve.

6. A gas engine governor comprising a block having a passage therethrough forming a part of the intake passage of the engine, and having a housing at one side thereof, a shaft rotatably mounted in the block and extending through one side of said passage and into the housing, a throttling valve fixed to the shaft in the passage, a curved lever in the housing fixedly mounted on the end of the shaft, a plate pivotally mounted inv the housing with the axis thereof adjacent the axis of the shaft, means for adjusting the rotative position of the plate, and a spring anchored on the outer end of the plate with its free end contacting with the inner portion of the lever substantially in alignment with the axis of the plate in the open position of the valve.

7. A gas engine governor comprising an unbalanced throttling valve pivotally mounted in the intake manifold of the engine, a lever connected to the valve and rotatable therewith, an adjustable support, a leaf spring anchored at one end to the support and having its free end extending toward the axis of the lever, the lever and spring being oppositely disposed and having convex contacting surfaces so that the contact therebetween progresses outwardly on the lever as the valve closes, and means for adjusting the support to regulate the tension of the spring.

RAY J. \VEAVER. 

